Combined tool box and step for motor vehicles



March 18 1924. O 1,487,408

F. TlcHY ET AL COMBINED TOOL BOX AND STEP FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Sept. 8., 1922 Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED s'rnrigs` 1,481,408 PATENT! OFFICE.

FREDERICK TICHY, F ASTORIA, AND FREDERICK H. WAPPLER, OF ELMHURST, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR-S TO WAPPLER'ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC., 0F LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEVI YORK. y 'i ooi/[Brunn TOOL BOX AND STEP Foa MOTORJ VEHICLES.

Application filed September 8, 1922.. Serial No. 586,830.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, FRnDnnloKvTIoHY' and FREDERICK H. lVArrLnR, both citizens ofthe United States, the former vresiding in Astoria, in the county of Queensand State of New `York, and the latter residing in Elmhurst,in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain newfand useful Improvements in Combined Tool Boxes 'and Steps for Motor Vehicles, of,

which the `following is a full, clear, and concise description:

Our invention relates kto combined tool boxes and steps ifor lmotor vehicles.

More particularly stated our 'invention comprehends va construction whereby a `tool bo'X and a swinging stepf'are mountedadj acentthe'-running board or analogousportionf a'motor vehicle, in suchmanner that 2o the vehicle 'step is automatically movedinto' position for active use whenever the door of the'vehicle is opened, and ismovediinto a position of inactivity and thus practically' causedto disappear. whenever the door-Of activity.

'Our invention further comprehends various improvements in connection"withthe' step 'and :tool box, `and with `Arvarious parts more or flessrernotely associated therewith.

Reference `is made Ito the accompanying drawing forming a part 'of this specification, and in whichlikereference' characters" indicate' like parts 'throughout the several figures.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary section'thro'ugh a motor vehicle providedwith our invention,

the stepv being'shown in full lines in its position offactive use and lin broken lines in its position of inactivity, the section being taken on'the line 1-1 of Figure 3, looking inthe direction indicated by the' arrows;

Figure 2is a` section on the line `2-"2 ot the vehicle is closed;"the tool boX beingi closely associated with the step,y andbeing automatically 'rendered accessible when the step 4is inpositionrfor active use, ibut inzio-- cessible when the step is in its-positiofn'vif` line 4-4 otFigure 3, and shows the tool boX as drawn out over the step. The body ofthe vehiclel is rshown fragmentarily'at 5, and is provided with a floor 6, a doorway l7' and a door 8, the door beingf'connec'ted with the vehicle body by means ofhinges, one of which appears at 9.

VConnected with the vehicle'body and eX- tending downwardly therefrom ris a Side plate 20, made `preferably of sheet metal. The vehicle is further provided with an .undert'rame 11, disposed adjacent the side plate 10. A pair of metallic supporting arms 12, each of substantially L-shape as shown 'in Figure 42, areI used to, support the running board shown at 13. The supporting arms 12y are heldin position by means of bolts 14,' vand the runningl board is" mounted n upon thesupporting yarmsby bolts, one of which is shown at l5 in Figure 2.' Thus the runningboard is secured rigidly in position. A pairot' stirrups 16 areV by'means of bolts 17 secured iirmly upon the r'underside of the running board 13, so as to rdepend 'theretrom. Ihese'stirrups are parallel with each' other7 n as maybe 'understood from Figure 2. Extending through'these stirrups and partiallysupported thereby' are pair of end:

blocks' 1S. "These". Vend blotksare made inr this instanceof wood, 'and are disposed par#- all'el yto each other and located uponl the under "sidefo'f the'running b`oard13.

' Engagingthe lowermostedgeportion or each ofthe two Aend blocksl are a pair of" brace fbeams 19 and 20, each having the form of a rather thick and .narrow-board.l Bolts .21 'extend downwardly thro-ugh the running boardl and throughfthe end blocks 18 and" brace beams 19. lluts22`are 'mounted' upon the lower ends of thebolts 21, andiare tightened sufficiently' to clamp firmly `together the variouspa'rts through which the bolts 21 extend. n

A pairjof hinge bars 23 andQ/l'arev mounted `rigidly upon the endblocks 18, and extend obliquely downward and Outward, as maybe understood froml Figures 1 and`2. A step; 25, having in this instance theform of a flat board, is supporlted upon the hinge bars 23 and24; by means of a pair of hinge pins,26fand"27,'so that the 'step' can swing relatively to the end blocks. 'Y

Located adjacent the hinL e bars 23 and 24;y are 'a pair of supporting' ars 28 and 29. y

These supporting bars are by means of pins 30 and 31 pivotally connected to the opposite ends of the step 25. A pair of guide blocks 32 and 33 are mounted rigidly upon the end blocks 18 and each provided with a hole 34, one of the holes being shown at 34l in Figure 2. The two supporting bars 28 and 29, one at each end of the steps 35, extend slidably through the holes in the two guide blocks 32 and 33. The supporting bars 28 and 29 are slightly curved adjacent their outer or lower ends, as may be understood from Figures 1 and 2. By this arrangement, whenever the step 29 is in the position indica-ted for it by fulllines in these two figures,cthe inner or upper portions of the supporting bars 28 and 29 rest edgewise against the adjacenthinge bars 23 and 24, so that the supporting bars 2,8 and 29 are eiectively braced by the hinge bars and thus support the step 25 so that the latter is capable of sustaining considerable weight. When, however, the step 25 is swung upwardly, so as to occupy the Vposition indicated for it by broken lines in Figures 1 and 2, the supporting bars 28 and 29 are lifted out of engagement with the hinge bars 23 and 24, and are thrust some little distance through the guide blocks 32 and 33, as indicated by broken lines i the two figures just mentioned. f

Mounted upon one end of the step 25 is a sector 35, held in position by the pins 31 and 27 above mentioned, so that the sector and the step are thus connected together, and move as a unit. The sector 35 carries a pin 36, and the latter extends through an actuating bar 37. This actuating bar is by means of a pivot pin 375l connected with the lower end of a pitman 38. The pitman is mounted to rock upon a pin 39, and is provided with a slot 40. The pin 39 is carried by a supporting arm 4l, having a substantially L-shape as may be understood from Figure 1, and is held in position upon the adjacent end block 18 by means of bolts 42.

Above the pitman 38 is another pitman 43, carrying a pin 44 which extends through the slot 40 of the pitman 48. The pitman 43 is mounted to rock upon a pin 45, this pin being carried by ahangcr 46 the hanger being secured upon the underside of the iioor 6 by means of bolts 47.

A tensile spring 48 is connected with the pitman 43, and a push rod 49 is also connected with the pitman. The spring 48 is connected withy a standard 50 which is mounted rigidly upon the frame work, and the push rod 49 extends slidably through a hole in the standard 50. In consequence of the tension of the spring 48 the push rod has a tendency to move toward the right so as to occupy the position indicated for it by full lines in Figure 1.

It therefore mainf tains this position except when moved from it as described below.

The vehicle door 8 carries a push plate 51,`

shown more particularly in Figure 2. rlhis push plate is so located and arranged that whenever the door 8 is closed the push plate 51 is brought into engagement with the adjacent end portion of the push rod 49; and thus by the closure of the door the push rod 49 is moved endwise, from the position indicated for it by full lines in Figure 1 to the position indicated for it by broken lines in said ligure.

The movement of the push rod 49 just describedincreases the tension ot the spring 48, andrcauses the Vpitman 43 to rock in a counter-clockwise direction according to Figure 1. This rocking movement of the pitman 43 causes the pitman 48 to rock in a clockwise direction according to the ligure just mentioned. This rocking movementof the pitman 48 causes the sector 45 to rock in a counter-clockwise direction according to this gure, and this causes the step 35 to swing upwardly, from the position indicated for it in full lines to the one indicated for it by dotted lines in the said figure.

The step 25 remains in the position indicated for it by broken lines in Figure 1, so long as the door 8 remains closed. When, however, the door is opened the tension o the spring 48v causes the various movable parts above described each to rock or otherwise move in a direction contrary to that in which it moves in consequence of the closing of the door. Thus whenever the door 8 is swung open, the step 25 swings downwardly into, the position indicated for it by full lines in Figures 1 andv 2 and above described at length. Y

The tool box is shown at 52, and has gen-V erally the form of a chest. Y t is provided with al cover 53 and with a lock 54. The tool box is mounted upon a pair of sliding rails 55, to which it is firmly secured by means of bolts 56, as shown more particularly in Figure 4. The sliding rails 55 extend into a pair of slots 57 with which the end blocks 18 are provided. Thus the sliding rails 55, carrying the tool box 52, are supported by the end blocks 18.

YThe tool box is operated altogether by hand. It is inaccessible so long as the sten 25 remains raised into the position indicated for it by broken lines in Figures 1 and 2, or in other words so long as the vehicle door remains closed. Vhen, however, the step is lowered or swung downwardly into the position indicated for it by full lines in Fivures 1 and 2, the tool box is thereby rendered accessible.

The operator, in order to open the tool box, simply grasps it by hand and draws it out like a bureau drawer so that it protrudes beyond the outer edge of the running board 13, to v any extent .desired by the `operator. i This done, the operator unlocks the cover and swings it upwardly or removes it,

so as -to leave the tool box open. When the operatoris through using 4the tool box he closes and locks it, and then pushes it back under the runningboard 13, tar enoughto be outof the way of the step25, so as to give the latter room to swing upwardly.

`As may be understood from the foregoingy Even independently of the tool box, how--` ever, the step 25, actuated and controlled in the manner above described, possesses some distinct advantages. Whenever the motor vehicle stops and the door is opened, the step 25, normally out of the way and hidden, swings downwardly and into position for use as a vehicle step, its action being to all intents and purposes automatic. When the motor vehicle is in condition to proceed uponY its journey and the door is accordingly closed, the step is raised and thus disappears, this action also being practically automatic.

We do not limit ourselves to the precise mechanism shown, as variations may be made therein without departing from our invention, the scope or" which is commensurate with our claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

l. In a device of the character described the combination, with a vehicle body provided with a running board and with a door so mounted as to permit of being opened and closed, of supporting members carried by said vehicle body and located underneath the running board, a tool box mounted upon said supporting members and located below said running board, a step supported by said running board and disposed adjacent said tool box, said step being mounted to move and having two normal positions, in one of which the step serves as a barrier to prevent access to the tool box, and connections from said step to said door for enabling movements of the door to shift the step from one of said normal positions to the` other.

2. In a device of the character described the combination, with a running board, of a tool box located beneath said running board, and a step mounted below said running board and below said tool box, said step being movable into two normal positions, one foruse as a vehicle step and the other for use as a barrier to prevent access to the tool box.

3. In a device of the character described the combination, with a running board, of a pair of end blocks mounted upon the un derside ,ots-aid running board and depending therefrom, said end blocks being provided with slots, a pair of rails extending into saidslots and slidable relatively to said end blocks, a tool box secured to said rails and movable therewithas avunit, so that said tool box and said rails may be moved outwardly after the manner of a drawer, a step journaled uponV said end blocks and mounted to swing. into two normal positions `in, one of which it serves as a vehicle lstep and in the other as a barrier'to prevent ac` cess* to the tool box, and mechanism confV other normal position as a barrier forpre` venting access to the tool box, and mechanism connected with said swinging member and controllable by the operator for the purpose of shifting said swinging member from one to the other of its said normal positions.

5. In a device of the character described the combination, with a vehicle body provided with a running board and with a swinging door, of a pair of end blocks mounted on the underside of said running board, av tool box slidably mounted upon said end blocks and movable by hand after the manner of a drawer for the purpose o facilitating access to the contents of the tool box, a swinging member having the form of a flat board and mounted adjacent said tool box, said swinging member having a normal position in which it acts as a barrier to prevent access to the tool box, and connections from said swinging member to said swinging door, for the purpose of enabling the closing movement of the door to shift said swinging member from one of its normal positions to the other.

6. In a device of the character described the combination, with a vehicle body having a running board and a swinging door, of a pair of end blocks mounted upon the underside of said running board and spaced apart, a tool box slidably mounted upon said end blocks and thereby supported so'as to enable the tool box to be slided back and forth relatively to the running board, a swinging member journaled upon said end blocks and having two normal positions one to enable the swinging member to act as a vehicle step and the other to enable it to act as a barrier for preventing access to the tool box,

and actuating mechanism carried by the' ve'- hicle body and connected With said swinging member for the purpose of shifting the swinging member from one to the other of its two normal positions, said actuating mechanism being connected with and controllable by the opening and closing Inovements of the door.

` 7. In a device of the characterdes'cribed the combination, with a vehicle body having a running board and a swinging door somounted as to permit of it being opened and closed, of a pair of supporting members located beneath the running board, a tool box` mounted upon said supporting members, a step carried by the vehicle body and disposed adjacentV said tool box, 'said step bein mounted to swing and having tWo norma` positions, said step serving iii one of 'its' positions as a barrier to prevent access toy the tool box, actuating me'cl'ianism carried by the vehicle body and connected With said step for shifting the same fromone of its normal positions to the other, andl means for enabling the opening and closing movements of the door to control actuating mechanism;

'8. Iny a'deviceof the character describedV the combination, With a vehicle body having a running board and provided with a door mountedto open and close, of a pair of end blocks located underneath the board, a tool boX mounted upon said'en blocks, a step supported adjacent said tool bok, Said step being movable into two nor'- mal positions, in one of which it acts as a vehicle step and in the other of which it acts as a barrier to prevent access to the tool box, an actuating bar connected With said step for shifting the same from either of its normal positions into the other, and'mechanism connected with said actuating bar and controllable by movements of the door for shifting' said step from one 'of its lsaid nor-v mal positions to the other. Y

FREDERICK TICI-IY. p FREDERICK H. VVAPPLER'.

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